Spindle adapter



INVENTOR. PAUL M. HE/TMULLER BY i Y H im AGENT Sept. 17, 1968 P. M. HEITMULLER Filed Jan. e,' 1957 United States Patent 3,401,895 SPINDLE ADAPTER Paul M. Heitmuller, Pensacola, Fla, assignor to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 607,759 Claims. (Cl. 242-463) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A textile spindle adapter having a frusto-conical element with a toroidal spring encircling the element and retainer means at opposite ends of the element. A helical compression spring is positioned around the element between the toroidal spring and one retainer means for biasing the toroidal spring into engagement with the retainer means at the larger end of the element whereby the toroidal spring is radially expanded into engagement with a bobbin.

Background of the invention Summary of the invention The spindle adapter embodying the invention comprises a frusto-conical sleeve having a circumferential resilient member biased by a caged, expandsible resilient member in a radially expanded position thereon. The circumferential resilient member applies a gripping force against.

the inner wall of a bobbin mounted thereon to clutch the bobbin while the latter is being packaged with yarn, and is displaceable to a radially retracted position of reduced size by the bobbin as the latter is dismounted or doffed from the adapter. Bobbins that have been necked-down during the winding process are removable without difliculty.

Brief description of the drawing In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross-section view of the novel spindle adapter shown in association with a bobbin and a textile spindle, and

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross-section view of the novel spindle adapter showing the position of the resilient components thereof as in removal of a slightly deformed packaged bobbin therefrom.

Description of a preferred embodiment It will be understood that conventional textile winding spindles generally have a fixed spindle-to-bobbin clutch member arranged at the lower end thereof and have some type of spindle-to-bobbin adapter at the upper end thereof. The adapter disclosed herein is of the latter type.

Referring to the drawing, FIGS. 1 and 2, the spindle adapter 2 embodying the invention is shown mounted on a textile spindle 3 and comprises an annular, frustoconical sleeve or collar 4 defining a tapered peripheral surface 6 that tapers from a small to a larger end and terminatesin a flared flange or retainer 8. Collar 4 is secured to spindle 3 a predetermined distance from the free end thereof by conventional screw or press-fit means.

An annular, resilient member illustrated as a tightly coiled circumferential spring 10 and being radially expansible is mounted around tapered surface 6 abuttingly against flange or retainer 8. The inner diameter of circular spring 10 is smaller than the diameter of tapered surface 6 so that as spring 10 is slidingly displaced from the reduced tapered portion to the large tapered portion of collar 4 it expands increasingly until contacting flange or retainer 8. Spring 19 grips flange or retainer 8 tightly and overlaps the outer diameter thereof. Collar 4 is secured to spindle 3 a predetermined distance from the free end thereof by conventional screw or press-fit means.

Spring 10 is biased in position on flange or retainer 8 0f collar 4 by another annular resilient member illustrated as a helically coiled compression spring that is also mounted around collar 4. Spring 12 is compressingly caged between spring 10 and a spring retainer cap 14 and is axially expansible in relation to collar 4 and spindle 3.

Spring retainer cap 14 is secured to the end of spindle 3 by conventional screw or press-fit means. Preferably, a spring retainer 16 is provided between springs 10 and 12. Cap 14, preferably, is annular having a central opening so a to be slidably positionable along a preselected point adjacent the end of spindle 2 for adjusting the degree of compression of spring 10. Compression spring 10 may also be adjusted by keeping cap 14 fixed on spindle 3 and sliding collar 4 along the length of spindle 3.

With adapter 2 mounted on spindle 3, a bobbin having an inner diameter slightly less than the outer circumference of spring 10 when the latter is in its limit expanded postion on flange 8 is readily mounted over adapter 2. When bobbin 18 is positioned to its lowermost position on spindle 3, spring 10 applies a compressive force against the inner wall defining the bore of bobbin 18.

In operation, when bobbin 18 is driven by spindle 3, spring 10 will tend to expand radially due to centrifugal force and apply a more forceful grip upon bobbin 18. Spring 10, being resilient, will also maintain alignment of bobbin 18 with the spindle 3 axis.

Adapter 2 is most advantageous when dofling bobbin 18 from spindle 3. When spindle 3 is brought to a stop, an operator pulls or doifs bobbin 18 from spindle 3 by lifting bobbin 18 upwardly axially away from the spindle. As bobbin 18 is lifted from spindle 3, bobbin 18, being tightly functionally engaged to spring 10, lifts the latter slidingly and rollingly upwardly along the reduced tapered portion of collar 4 against the force of spring 12. As spring 10 is displaced along the reduced tapered surface 6, it returns or retracts toward its original size and thus relieves its grip on bobbin 18 permitting the latter to be conveniently removed.

A particular advantage in using adapter 2 is the convenient removal of bobbin 18 from its position on the adapter 2 when bobbin 18 is distorted or squeezed inwardly by the weight and tension of the yarn packaged thereon, as shown in FIG. 2. Conventional adapters present a problem in dofling a slightly deformed bobbin because the collapsed portion of the bobbin gets hung up on the adapted. In using the novel adapter 2, spring 10 can be displaced in degrees as required from flange or retainer 8 to the upper limit of the reduced tapered surface 6 of collar 4 so that spring 10 returns to a required retracted dimension allowing a collapsed portion of a bobbin 18 to pass thereover.

After bobbin 18 is dotted, spring 12 biasingly returns spring 10 to its original position on flange or retainer 8.

It will be understood that variations and modifications from the illustrated spindle adapter are expected to be covered within the purview of the invention. For example, the illustrated embodiment shows a flange or retainer 8 at one end and a separate cap retainer 14 at the opposite 3 end of the frusto-conical collar 4, whereas it is apparent that any means, such as pins fitted at right angles to collar 4 would act to retain springs 10 and 12 on the collar and would thus serve equivalently. Limitations are contemplated only within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 1. A textile spindle adapter comprising: frusto-conical annular means having retainer means at opposite ends thereof, means for securing said frusto-conical means and retainer means to a spindle, radially expansible resilient means mounted on said frusto-conical annular means adajcentone of said retainer means, axially expansible resilient means mounted on said frusto-conical means between said radially expansible means and said other retainer means, said axially expansible means being caged compressingly and biasing said radially expansible resilient means into abutting contact with said one of said retainer means. 2. A textile spindle adapter as in claim 1, wherein said frusto-conical annular means is a tapered sleeve and one of said retainer means is a flange formed integrally at one end of said tapered sleeve and the said other retainer means is a separate annular cap arranged at the opposite end of said tapered sleeve.

3. A textile spindle adapter as in claim 1, further comprising another retainer means mounted on said frustoconical annular member between said radially and axially expansible means.

4. A textile spindle adapter as in claim 1, wherein said radially expansible resilient means comprises a toroidal spring having slidable and rolling contact with said frustoconical annular means.

5. A textile spindle adapter as in claim 1, wherein said axially expansible resilient means comprises a helical spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,974,002 9/ 1934 Anderson 24246.3 2,042,968 6/1936 Siegenthaler 24246.3 3,077,070 2/1963 Smith et a1. 242-466 X 3,081,960 3/1963 Howe 242-68.3 X 3,166,263 1/1965 Smith et al 242-46.4

FOREIGN PATENTS 326,118 1/1958 Switzerland.

r STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

